UNDER MILKWEED


Night begins to fall in Llareggub. Mrs Ogmore-Pritchard seals herself into her house and wills herself to sleep below the tents of caterpillars across her orchard ceiling. Her husbands come to her in her sleep, fighting over who is last in the door, half-sealed by the tents of caterpillars. They hear love in her voice, they hear caterpillars in her hair, and hope it is for the other, but it is for both. They recite their night-time tasks, the last of which is taking off their pyjamas.

Mae Rose Cottage draws rings of lipstick around her nipples, and denounces her imaginary sins to the caterpillars outside her window outside Llareggub.

The Reverend Eli Jenkins recites his night poetry. Jack Black goes out to spoil the fun of lovers among the tents festooning the branches, in the dark wood. Lily Smalls is with Nogood Boyo in the wash-house, scraping off caterpillars of imaginary dimensions in unlikely places. Cherry Owen heads off to the Sailors Arms, crushing the fallen caterpillars under his heavy tread.. Sinbad Sailors dreams of Gossamer Beynon.

Babies and old men are put to bed to the dance of Milkweed and the song of thousands of caterpillars sleeping in their tents, and singing in their sleep. Young girls prepare for the dance. The drinkers abhor dancing as a sin and caterpillars as the Judgment, Cherry Owen denounces it. Eli Jenkins begins his next poem. Mr Waldo sings in the Sailors Arms of a housewife he slept with when he was a chimney sweep in the city.

Captain Cat goes to bed, and dreams of his drowned comrades, and Rosie Probert, and caterpillars. Organ Morgan goes to play Bach, and runs into Cherry Owen, who is on his way home through the graveyard. Mog Edwards and Myfanwy Price write their letters to each other to the sound of Milkweed caterpillars chewing softly on leaves above them. . Mr Waldo lies on Polly Garter as she thinks of Willy Wee, who brushed from her knee, the largest caterpillar ever you did see.. Mary Ann Sailors says goodnight to her Eden.

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